University of Washington-Seattle Campus Top Questions

I wished I had known the whole campus! University of Washington is a VERY big school if stepping onto the campus for the very first time. I was scared on the first day because I did not exactly know where I was, but luckily there were Husky Leaders around to ask, and they were very nice and helpful.

I wish that I had better known what opportunities for study were available to me prior to my attendance at the UW.

I grew up believing that after stepping into college, l would magically have everything together. I would be an independent adult ready take on the future confidently and with ease. My first week of college the illusion crumbled: getting lost before classes, caught in a rain shower, stepping into puddles, struggling through a heap of laundry, missing home and old friends, while trying to connect to WiFi and decide what to do with my life. After realizing that independence isn't perfection, I wish I'd earlier embraced the adventure of mistake making, laughed more, and took myself less seriously.

I wish that I had known how much of a toll college life has not only on your body physically, but on your mind as well. There are few things to prepare you for college life - every class and professor is different and I wish I would have known more study and test-taking tips in order to help me adjust from high school academia to college. Knowing how to manage time is a must in college. I wish I would have known that you cannot put studying off and expect to automatically understand concepts just by sitting in lecture.

I wish I had known about proper time management, how to study effectively and efficiently, which major I wanted, and what topics I was really interested in. I wish I had understood more about the department admissions process and how likely I was to get admitted to a particular program. I also wish I had known proper study, note-taking, and listening skills which are all very important. I wish I was more aware of particular scholarship deadlines. I also wish I was more aware of intramural sports tournaments.

I already knew about the school.

One thing I wish I would have known before I came to the University of Washington is that you can only take a specific number of credits before they ?kick you out?. I was a Running Start student who graduated high school with my Associate?s Degree, and that meant that I only had one quarter to decide on a major. I decided to switch majors, and therefore needed to extend my credits. If I hadn?t been accepted in my program now, I would?ve had to transfer. This is a huge inconvenience for people who change their major.

I wish that I had known how much effort I would have to put in, as a commuter student, to meet and make friends. In particular I would have told my high school senior self to make sure to be as friendly as possible and reach out to as many people as possible, particularly during Welcome Week. I feel as if I really dropped the ball on that one, and I wish I could have had a second chance.

The campus at the University of Washington is truly amazing. It is a city within a city. I must say I was naive to its size and all the opportunities and services the university provides. I wish that I had looked into alternative modes of transport around the campus; mass transit, mountain bike, or moped. The campus is very well designed for these modes of transport.

How big some of the lecture classes are and how many distractions there can be